Hazrat Dawud (David) Alaihissalam

Maqam of Prophet Dawud (upon him be peace)

This is believed to be the tomb of the Prophet Dawud (upon him be peace) who was the father of the Prophet Sulaiman (upon him be peace). Some historians believe that this is not his tomb but a ‘maqam’, to mark the place where he once stayed.

Dawud (upon him be peace) is mentioned by name 16 times in the Holy Quran.

Dawud (upon him be peace) ruled the Children of Israel [Banu Israil] for forty years, seven years in Hebron (al-Khalil) and thirty-three in Jerusalem, which became known as the City of Dawud.

According to Jewish and Christian belief (ref: Who’s Who in the Bible by Peter Calvocoressi), Dawud (upon him be peace) [David] committed adultery with Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah the Hittite. Bathsheba became pregnant and David sent for Uriah, who was with the Israelite army at the siege of Rabbah, so that he might lie with his wife and so conceal the identity of the child’s father. Uriah refused to do so while his companions were in the field of battle and David sent him back to Joab, the commander, with a message instructing him to abandon Uriah on the battlefield, “that he may be struck down, and die.“ In Islam, Dawud (upon him be peace) is regarded as one of the great Prophets, to whom the Zabur (Psalms) were revealed by Allah (ﷻ). The Islamic tradition includes many elements from the Jewish/Christian history of David, such as his battle with the giant Goliath, but completely rejects the Biblical portrayal of him as an adulterer and murderer.

Dawud (upon him be peace) was the first person skilled in making armour from iron. Allah (ﷻ) mentions in Surah Saba in the Holy Quran:“And certainly We gave Dawud bounty from Us (and said), ‘O mountains! Repeat Our praises with him, and the birds you too’. And we softened for him iron, (saying) ‘Make wide coats of mail, and measure well the links and do righteous deeds. Surely I am Seer of what you do.” [34:10-11]

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “The most loved Salat (prayer) in the sight of Allah is the Salat of Dawud and the most loved of Saum (fasting) in the sight of Allah is the Saum of Dawud. He used to sleep for the first half of the night and offer prayer for one-third of it and sleep (again) for one-sixth of it. And he used to observe fast on alternate days. And when he encountered an enemy he never fled.”[Bukhari]

Allah (ﷻ) had given him a very sweet voice such as not had been given to anyone before. When he used to recite the Zabur (Psalms) human beings, jinn, birds and animals stood devotedly listening to him.